HRV ski teams earn clean sweep

GOVERNMENT CAMP — After a disappointing start to the season, the HRV boys ski team managed to stay on its feet and win Saturday’s Giant Slalom race at Ski Bowl by 1.5 seconds over Sandy.

Justin Wiley led the way for HRV with a combined time of 2 minutes, 34.77 seconds — good for first overall, and just 14 hundredths of a second faster than Barlow’s Stephen Piazza (2:34.91).

Luke Pennington (2:45.60, 6th overall), Alec Asbridge (2:49.12, 9th overall), and Geordie Oates (2:51.47, 10th overall) helped make up for a rough day for HRV senior captain Marc Reed, who fell on his second run and had to settle for 18th overall.

“Alec came through big for us to help us get that team time,” coach Jon Copper said of Asbridge, a freshman. “Marc was right in there after his first run, but the team picked up for him after he crashed on the second run.”

The girls team also showed well Saturday despite the absence of two varsity skiers, Lisa Tedford and Lindsay McClure, and won the race by 6.5 seconds.

Leading the way for the Eagles were Jodie Gates, who finished second overall at 2:45.09, and Candice Hoag, who took third with a time of 2:47.81.

“Saturday was a good day for us,” Copper said. “It was nice to see some of the younger ladies fill in and show what they can do.”

Three of the younger competitors for HRV were Shanna Cochran, Aileen Herlitz and Lauren Emmerson, who was penciled in as an alternate. When Tedford was scratched, Emmerson stepped in and ended up taking seventh place overall with a time of 3:02.68.

Cochran wasn’t far behind in eighth place at 3:04.98, while Herlitz finished in 25th at 4:05.41.

Copper believes that if both teams continue to ski as they did Saturday, the team will be a force at the state race March 7-8.

“This league is going to be a horse race, but we’re confident,” he said. “Our goal this year is to win the state combined title.”